Making it as a Madrileña

And this wraps up my 8 weekend trips abroad!

I was SO excited to go to Amsterdam, as I’ve heard so much about this crazy city from so many people. All I’ve heard was amazing things, and I can honestly say this city lived up to the expectations and also exceeded them.

I went with one of my best friends from high school, and we stayed at ClinkNoord Hostel a little outside of the main city area, which was really nice because we were just a 2 minute ferry ride away from the main city center but didn’t have to be in it the entire time if we didn’t want to.

This city is so interesting. It was so cold, like around 30-40 the entire time, but it was so cool to be in a city thrives during the wintertime. Since it’s the beginning of December (which we strategically planned), there were Christmas lights everywhere lining all the buildings and streets, and everything was so wintery.

Getting around everywhere was so easy, just a quick and cheap subway ride away. There is something about these Northern European countries– they are so put together and modernized and progressive. Everything was so clean, convenient, and there seemed to be a lot more social liberty. The Netherlands is literally the perfect country. Everyone was so friendly, ALL spoke English so well, and it’s just such an aesthetically-pleasing place.

Some of the highlights of the trip:

1. Moco Museum: This had a Banksy exhibit with a lot of the notorious artist’s pieces were displayed. It’s so cool hearing about something over the news for so many years and then finally seeing it all in person! Highly recommend this place.
2. Van Gogh Museum: One of my favorite museums I’ve ever been to, and I’m really not a museum person! I’ve always grown up learning about Van Gogh and studying his works, so it was such an exciting experience seeing so many of his best works with my own eyes and seeing the detail just inches away from my face.
3. Coffee shops: You know if you know… These were so interesting and definitely such an Amsterdam thing to do 😉

I have to be totally honest with myself though, my friend and I didn’t do too much planning ahead of time, and so we did spend a lot of time trying to research things to do only to find out they were closed or too expensive, and it definitely created a lot of unnecessary stress within the trip which was supposed to just be carefree and all easy. Also, it was SO cold which was a little brutal at times because there was a strong wind chill along with the cold, and I just did not come prepared enough for that kind of weather.

All in all, this was a REALLY beautiful, fascinating place. I have such positive feelings about it, but also don’t want to romanticize my experiences because the reality of nonstop traveling is that stress and inconveniences are bound to happen and what matters is how I deal with it and overcome that for the greater goal of having a good time.

I LOVE Sevilla! This was such a surprisingly beautiful city, and SUCH a nice break from the 40 degree Madrid winter weather.

Sevilla, in the south of Spain (about 1 hour from the coast) has such a different culture than Madrid. I never really realized how different the different parts of Spain were until going to these places in person. Because the south of Spain is so close to North Africa, there is a strong Moorish/Islamic influence that beautifully influenced the architecture of the city. Also, the Andalusian (southern Spanish) accent is SO strong and sounds so different from Madrid Spanish! It was funny how there was such a regional divide just like we have in the US with the coasts, Midwest, South, etc.

This was a little weekend trip with my aunt Helen who came all the way from New York to hang out with me in Spain for the week (we spent the weekdays in Madrid and went to Sevilla for the weekend). This was a super quick 1.5-hour bullet train away from Madrid, and we stayed in this beautiful, opulent hotel, called Gravina 51. Oh, what an extreme change of pace from dirty hostels. I’ve never been more excited to be in a hotel in my entire life.

It was such a pleasant 70 degrees and sunny, and my aunt and I had such a fun time just exploring the city and seeing a bunch of cool, historical sights while also always making enough time to eat the best food possible.

Here are some of my trip highlights:

1. Tapas at Eslava: WOW these were the best, most interesting tapas I’ve had in my entire life, and the entire meal for the two of us was only 25 euros. So highly recommend this place.
2. Flamenco: I finally got to see a flamenco show in person, and what better place than Sevilla because this is where this iconic dance originated! It was such a powerful, intricate work of art. It was much more about singing than I expected, and the dancers were so passionate and talented.
3. Real Alcázar de Sevilla: This beautiful and HUMONGOUS palace is where Ferdinand and Isabella lived, and where they sent Christopher Columbus off from for his journey to the New World. Boo for colonialism but nevertheless, such an ornate, extravagant place to see. Oh and GAME OF THRONES WAS FILMED HERE!

I had such a pleasant time in this sunny little city. This was definitely one of my favorite trips, I think partially because I was with someone who really helps me appreciate the intrinsic value of appreciating art and history– two things my left-brained-self often overlooks.

Every time I see a new city within Spain, I learn a little more about the country as a whole and it makes me fall in love with this place just that much more. España, te quiero mucho.

Finally, the city in Spain that I was the most excited to visit! 7 year-old Cheetah-Girls-obsessed me would be so proud.

My housemates and I took a quick 2 day trip to Barcelona because there is a 2.5 hour bullet train from Madrid to there through Renfe (the long distance train system). The public transport within Spain is phenomenal in that it’s so quick and so cheap!

Because this was such a quick trip, it felt necessary to do all the typical touristy things, but in this case, the touristy things were so the right move! I’ll give an honest review of the things we did in this short amount of time:

1. IceBarcelona: A bar where you have to put on a huge parka because literally everything is made of ice, even the cups. Very overrated because there was barely anyone in there on a FRIDAY night! Probably would be best to go in the summer, as we went in the winter.
2. La Sagrada Familia: The most majestic, colorful cathedral I have ever seen, by the famous architect Gaudí. Buy tickets ahead of time because they sell out!
3. Park Güell: A whole park designed by Gaudí. This is where the iconic tiled benches that overlook the city are! The entire park is filled with mesmerizing structures that look straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. Highly recommend, and also buy tickets ahead of time because these sell out too.
4. Dow Jones Bar: This place is themed as a stock-exchange. The drinks all change prices as the “stock market” goes up (aka as more people buy a certain drink), and then every 20 minutes or so there is a huge “stock market crash” where sirens are blasting and all the drinks are at their all-time low. It was a fun concept, but there were literally only Americans in that bar, so it kind of just felt like being back at a college frat party to be totally honest.
5. Gothic Quarter: As the oldest neighborhood of the city, this place has exactly the architecture you think of when you think of stereotypical Barcelona. It’s definitely worth the visit for a brief walk around.
6. Hotel Ayre: A MUST GO. A local told us about this spot. Go to the rooftop of this hotel for a full view of La Sagrada Familia. There were barely even 10 people up there, and we got some good rosé and watched the sunset. 11/10 experience.

For anyone looking to go to Barcelona, this was another place that was very easy to be a tourist in. Their public transport was so efficient and accessible, and literally everyone speaks English–a bummer for us because we didn’t get to practice much Spanish here, but for those who don’t speak Spanish this is a very comfortable, pleasant place to visit.

The only regret I have is that I wish I got to come here during a warmer time, but it was still a comfortable sunny 68 degrees, a REALLY nice break from 50 degree Madrid weather. I feel like the vibe of beachy places like this is so much more lively in warmer seasons. In it’s entirety, Barcelona was a solid experience. I don’t know if I would come back because it definitely felt like a place just to see the main attractions, but I’m glad I got to quell my curiosity and see some beautiful sights along the way with some of my best friends.

As [by far] the most touristy city I’ve gone to so far, Rome was one melting pot of cultures and languages that I’ve never heard before.

The best thing about this trip was that one of my best friends from my university back home is studying abroad in Rome, so I got to see a lot of the city through the eyes of a local. 

Pro tip: Going to such a crazy city can be so overwhelming. Rome isn’t really one of those places where you should “just wing it.” It’s so worth it to take the time to make a general plan of what you want to see and how to get there so that you aren’t wasting valuable travel time being stressed out! But also, getting a little lost in such a beautiful city has never done me any wrong, I must admit.

If you’re worried about getting around, everyone, literally everyone, speaks English in Rome which was so convenient. Whenever I go to places like this, it always makes me wonder as to why the US doesn’t emphasize learning another language as much as other countries do, because it just completely opens up so many more opportunities to break down barriers with strangers and make the most of your travel experience!

I’ll give a brief synopsis of the DOs and DON’Ts of Rome:

1. DON’T wait in the 2-3 hour line to get into the Colosseum unless it’s something you NEED to experience. You can still see a lot from the outside.
2. DO eat at Nonna Betta’s. Best pasta of my life, you’ll thank me later.
3. DO look up the historical significance of the sights you see– it’s so much more interesting actually knowing the history behind certain touristy spots. Let me just say, ancient Rome was gnarly.

In summary, Rome was a fascinating city. I stayed with my friend in Trastevere, a more local area outside of the city center which made my experience in Rome much more authentic. I mean this in that we got to escape the touristy sights and see more of your typical everyday Roman lifestyle. I adored how friendly and lively and honestly, just straight up cool the Italian people were. Italy, you’re a good one, and I still have dreams about that cacio e pepe pasta.

London is officially one of the coolest cities I’ve ever been to (don’t worry Lisbon, you still hold 1st place). This city emanates such an intoxicating energy and excitement that instantly makes you fall in love with it and its people.  

I had to do the typical London things, so we first went to see Buckingham Palace and the London Eye, and then we spent the rest of the first day having fun bouncing around pubs and exploring the Science Museum (SO cool by the way, we even did a space VR simulation). Then at night, we discovered one of the coolest bars I’ve ever been into, called The Alchemist. This place had the craziest and most extra drinks ever, for example my Key Lime Pie cocktail had a lime merengue on top and was scorched and then sprinkled with graham cracker powder. Another friend’s drink changed colors! The atmosphere was so young, fun, and lively, making The Alchemist a must-go in London.

Pro-tip: Take the Tube, it’s such a clean and fast public transport system and will take you literally anywhere around the city for so cheap.

Later in the night, we explored SoHo, a swanky, eclectic, and young area of the city with great shopping and hip local bars.  The streets were illuminated with neon lights and the energy was electric.

Random fact:  In order to be a London taxi driver, drivers must go through the most intensive round of tests than any other taxi service in the world, called the Knowledge of London. They have to memorize 25,000 streets and 320 different routes around London, which usually takes around 3-4 years! I learned in one of my textbooks that because of all this meticulous memorization, researchers have noticed a significant structural difference in the grey matter of the hippocampus, associated with increased memorization capacity. How cool! We had the great pleasure of meeting Everton, our taxi driver on our way home from SoHo, and he explained the Knowledge process to us. So, if you’re ever in London, you absolutely can’t miss out on the experience of a classic taxi ride- you’re driven by a true genius with probably a bigger brain than yours!

The next day, we hopped around Camden Market, a bustling market that runs for what felt like a mile, and has bars, restaurants, and shops scattered along a canal. Everyone is here to drink some good beer/wine and socialize, what more could you want?! We met a group of guys who we ended up hanging out with for hours, because in London that just happens I guess? Honestly, I have to give props to the British people for being so friendly and also hilarious. Let’s just say that the humor here is so dry that it could be a Portuguese wine. 

Overall take: Such a vibrant, posh, friendly city. I’m not even going to say “I hope I see you again” because I know I will.

For those of you looking to escape the über touristy cities of Europe and enjoy a more low-key city, Málaga is the place for you. 

I definitely recommend going in one of the warmer months (June-October) because this city is a beautiful Spanish beach town! My friends and I rented an obscenely cheap but obscenely nice Airbnb (perks of not being in such a touristy city) that overlooked the whole city and had the most majestic 180 degree ocean view. Although we were only here for one night, we spent about 2 full days here laying out at the warm beaches and exploring mountain-top views.

Top things to do in Málaga:

1. The beach, obviously! The Mediterranean water was so warm and made for such a nice swim.
2. Castillo de Gibralfaro: Because this city is in the very southern portion of Spain, there is so much beautiful Moorish influence. This former palace used by the Moors sits on one of the highest peaks of Málaga, and from here you can see literally everything, even a massive bullfight colosseum. 
3. Pablo Picasso Museum: We didn’t make it here because of the short amount of time we had, but Picasso was born in Málaga, so many of his famous works are here in his old home. 

I’m not going to lie, this was not one of my more cultural experience-oriented trips, and was more of a relaxation trip, but nonetheless this city made a solid impression on all of us, and I would love to come here again in a future summer. All in all though, there wasn’t too much to do in this city, as it is more of a residential place, but it is a perfect place for a brief tropical vacation if you’re already in another city in Europe. 

Okay, so I promise I do actually live in Madrid!

At times, it’s easy to get lost in the hype of weekend trips and forget that I actually live in one of the greatest cities ever. A tip for prospective study abroad students: weekend trips are such a bonus to your abroad experience, and you should definitely take advantage of being able to fly around places for way cheaper than if you were to fly from the US. However, don’t neglect your city that you chose to study in by booking too many weekend trips- you will get tired out real quickly, won’t get to involve yourself in the culture of your own city as much, oh and your bank account. 

I finally had a 3-week intermission from weekend trips, and it was so nice. Madrid truly is such an entertaining place to live- you can never be bored here, I don’t think it’s humanly possible. There is never a shortage of amazing restaurants to try, museum exhibits, bars, sights, and cool people.

To be totally honest, I was starting to get homesick at this point because the excitement of being in Europe had officially died down, and I think the sense of permanency really started to sink in that this is my actual home for 4 months. But this little time period spent exploring Madrid definitely kicked me out of this slump. I didn’t even do anything drastically different, yet somehow felt drastically different after. Here’s a brief list/review of some of the things I discovered during this travel hiatus.

1. Roller blading throughout Retiro Park (aka the Central Park of Madrid): okay this was SO much harder than it looked, but definitely one of the most hilarious experiences I’ve had here. Highly recommend.
2. Ojalá Playa: My home away from home! The basement floor of this trendy restaurant is literally one big adult sand pit where you sit on pillows on the floor and enjoy amazing sangria and tapas. Bonus to this place for actually offering healthy food options too!
3. Salmon Guru: This bar’s name is the definition of “weird flex but ok”. This turned out to be the best bar I’ve ever been to. To set the atmosphere: Neon lightning bolts all over the ceiling, Marvel comic murals all over, swanky jazz music, and total 20’s speakeasy vibes. Every single drink had it’s own specific container (yes container, not cup because one literally came with test tubes and another was in an octopus-shaped glass), and the waiter explained how to drink every single drink when they brought it over. Every single drink my 5 housemates and I got was 10/10, which is so rare. 
4. El Rastro Market: Every Sunday, there is the El Rastro flea market in the barrio de La Latina, conveniently a 10 minute walk from my apartment! The little shops ranged from artisan leather belts/purses, to cute clothes and cheap sunglasses. A funny story about this place– This was my first near-pickpocketing experience! Luckily, he didn’t actually successfully get anything but it nearly happened, watch your things here.

All in all, I just wanted to let you guys know that I’m finally starting to genuinely love this city, and that I now know I so made the right choice to study here. If you ever get the opportunity to study or even just visit here, definitely do it.

Let me start you off with a comparison here. So, think of Las Vegas. One wouldn’t go to Las Vegas and stay in a cheap hotel and rave about their time there, because at the end of the day, unless you’re balling out in the Palazzo, Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, etc., you’re just in a seedy hotel in… well, the ever-so-classy Vegas strip.

LESSON LEARNED: Same goes for Ibiza. Don’t let the movies fool you.

Okay I kid, I kid, Ibiza did have it’s highlights (but for real, don’t go unless you ball out on a luxurious hotel unless you want to find a pair of used panties under your bed and mysterious stains on the walls, yes true story).

This Mediterranean beach was breathtaking- the water was so warm, the sand was so fluffy, and it was a perfect 80 degrees, what more could a Californian abroad want?! Bonus points for the lack of tan lines from the nude beaches.

As for the stereotypical Ibizan club experience, we went to an outdoor afternoon event at (apparently the #1 club in the world) this club called “Ushuaia”, and in my honest opinion, it was extremely mediocre because every DJ set was pretty subpar. We heard the best time to go is in the middle of the summer when more famous DJs like Kygo are in Ibiza, so definitely a pro tip for prospective Ibiza goers that timing is everything.

In a more positive review, there was a really tender moment in the trip though. On our last night we were walking through the beautiful city streets along the water, and sat down on the dock overlooking a ton of yachts (THOSE people did Ibiza right lol) and the cityscape. So cheesy, but I think this was when I realized that regardless of where I go, my experiences are shaped by the people I go with, so that’s why I somehow still have such fond memories of this god forsaken place. Spain roommates, if you’re reading this, I love you guys.

Final thoughts: Well, you read the title. You can’t win ’em all. Mild L’s were taken, but nonetheless meaningful memories were made, and that’s just all a part of the European experience.

…And let the weekend trips begin!

If I’m being completely honest here, Lisbon was an actual dream. I always thought European cities all looked the same, and this proved that so wrong. Everything was so open, bright, pastel-colored, happy, and just so charming.

This breezy ocean-side city is famous for their tiles all over the city, covering the buildings with intricate, hand-painted blue designs. The Portuguese people were so kind (and abnormally attractive), nearly everyone spoke English, and the city is very walkable.  Logistically speaking, this is definitely one of the most livable cities for American ex-pats in the world.

As for the nightlife, there is this one area in the city called Bairro Alto where hundreds of people fill the streets. The method: quickly get a cheap drink at one of the MANY bars, take it out onto the street, and mingle away with the ever-so-lively Portuguese people!

Also, I got my first taste of a hostel, and it was honestly a pleasant surprise. Everyone I met was so talkative and open, whether I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom along with a stranger or sitting at the communal table for a classic fresh bread and jam breakfast. And randomly enough, there was some Korean movie being filmed there with an apparently very famous actor, so the whole place was filled with a production crew one of the nights! Definitely a sign this was a popular hostel. So if you ever find yourself in Lisbon, I highly recommend “Lisbon Old Town Hostel” for a comfortable, memorable experience.

This is just one of those places where I found myself walking around with a dumb smile on my face for no reason. I wish I could articulate how much I fell in love with this place and its sunny vibe, but let me just say, Lisbon, you’re one for the books, and I cannot wait until we meet again.

Wow, what did I get myself into?

So this is my first time in Europe if you couldn’t tell, and, no- I can’t promise I won’t return as one of those “well when I was in Europe” kind of people, because we all know I likely will (sorry friends). But anyways, this place is something else. I know to some it may seem like spending 4 months in another continent isn’t that big of a deal, but to me this is a whirlwind.

Here’s a brief recap of my first week here:

1. Fresh off the plane, I hauled two 50-pound suitcases up 4 flights of stairs (did I mention that I discovered, upon arrival, that MY APARTMENT IS ON THE 5TH FLOOR WITH NO ELEVATOR?!), crashed, and then was awoken by some of my roommates who proceeded to pull me out of bed to get paella (this was how I knew I was going to like them).
2. A few days later, us and some of our new friends from our program watched the sunset from Retiro Park (aka the Central Park of Madrid) on the lake while eating charcuterie and drinking cheap sangria. Is this even real life?
3. Started school at Universidad Carlos III Madrid, and the campus is beautiful. It’s strange walking around and not seeing all the familiar faces from UCSB, but it feels nice almost, like a temporary fresh start.

All in all, I love this city so far, and I can tell I’m off to one hell of an experience.